In The Darkest Hour

Part One - Chapter Ten: From Bad to Worse

“It’s okay,” Isla murmured trying to sooth a crying Milan, she hadn’t gotten much sleep and Gerard still wasn’t home from his night out; she balanced the little boy on her hip while she rested a hand on his head.

Isla frowned at how warm the little boy was, she quietly padded into Milan’s bathroom and quickly got the ear thermometer; she wanted to check how warm he was before she planned her next step.

Trying to settle Milan, Isla carefully popped the ear thermometer into his ear; she closed her eyes praying that this wasn’t serious, she could only imagine how bad this could get.

The ear thermometer beeped once it had gotten Milan’s temperature, Isla pulled it away from the little boy and stared down at the display that read a little over 38°C; she swallowed knowing that it hadn’t been that high before.

“Right off to hospital we go,” Isla whispered putting the ear thermometer down, she didn’t want to take a risk with Milan and she would call Gerard and Montserrat from the car.

Milan continued to cry as Isla hurried down two flights of stairs, she didn’t want to miss a moment and she was sure the sooner that she got to the hospital the better; she didn’t know what else to do right now.

Isla made sure that she picked up her car keys and her mobile from her bedroom before she hurried out of the house making sure that the front door was locked as she went.

Isla didn’t even care that she was still dressed in her short sleeve blue marl T-shirt and cream jersey bottoms paired with cream heart print mule slippers and her star print dressing gown.

“It’s going to be okay, Isla will take care of you,” Isla whispered trying to reassure a crying Milan while she settled him into his car seat, she chewed on her lip worried about what would happen when she reached the hospital.

Isla wasn’t going to risk going to the hospital that she had been fired from, if Gerard showed up she didn’t want someone telling him who she was; she was going to have to head to a different hospital that was closer.

Isla didn’t waste a moment before she climbed into the car, she pulled on her seatbelt before placing her mobile into the holding device; she quickly started to call Gerard’s mobile hoping to pick up.

Isla pulled out of the drive way and started to drive towards the hospital, her eyes glanced at her mobile as it continued to ring; she didn’t know why Gerard wasn’t taking her call but she needed to get a hold of him.

“Come on Gerard,” Isla muttered pressing the call button again when the call disconnected, she didn’t want to think what might happen if things went bad in the hospital; she couldn’t get a hold of Gerard and he needed to be there for his son.

Isla disconnected the call herself, she cursed under her breath peeking back at Milan before she started to call Montserrat; she needed someone to be there since she was only the nanny and not family.

Isla took a couple of deep breathes to calm herself, she didn’t want to panic and freak out while driving; she’d only end up making things worse and that wasn’t going to help her right now.

***

“Isla,” Montserrat called hurrying into A&E with Joan Piqué following her, they had both been so worried when they had received Isla’s call that she had rushed Milan to hospital because of a high temperature.

Isla looked up from her coffee and towards the worried grandparents, she still couldn’t get a hold of Gerard and had left him some rather choice voice-mails about what was going on right now.

“Is Milan okay?” Joan asked concerned, he was far from happy with the fact that his son hadn’t turned up; he couldn’t believe how irresponsible Gerard was being by not taking anyone’s calls.

Isla sighed knowing that they would be worried, she was so angry at Gerard right now and she couldn’t believe that he wasn’t here; she was sure Isabel would be disgusted if she was alive at what was happening.

“They’re trying to bring down his temperature… I got him here just in time,” Isla explained making Montserrat sigh in relief, she had no idea what she would have done without Isla and she was sure that it could have been so much worse.

Joan wrapped an arm around his wife, they were going to have to do something about Gerard; he couldn’t believe how far their eldest son had fallen and he didn’t want this spiral to continue.

Montserrat opened her mouth to say something when the sound of drunken men greeted her ears, she closed her eyes recognising one of the voices; she couldn’t believe that this was happening right now.

Gerard stumbled through the hospital entrance and grinned, he had sunglasses over his blue eyes and a couple of his team-mates were with him; no one had to guess that the group were all drunk out of their minds.

Lionel followed after the group, he had been the designated driver and was the only one in the right mind right now; he peeked at the sight of Gerard’s parents doubting they would be pleased about their son’s antics.

“Gerard Piqué i Bernabeu,” Montserrat hissed staring at her son, she couldn’t believe that he had gotten this way when he had been so focused on getting his life back; she felt tears prick her eyes not wanting to deal with her son right now.

“Why don’t you both go and see Milan… I’ll deal with him,” Isla offered knowing that they didn’t need to deal with Gerard right now, she offered the couple a warm smile as they thanked her softly before moving down the corridor wanting to get away from Gerard as quickly as possible.

Isla watched them leave before she turned to face Gerard, she moved towards him determined to make him see sense; she had no idea what he was planning at right now.

“Take off the sunglasses,” Isla demanded stepping closer to the 6’3” footballer, she could smell the alcohol on him and the lipstick on his cheek left nothing to the imagination about what he had been doing.

Gerard frowned at Isla’s tone of voice before he did as she had ordered, with the sunglasses gone his red eyes were very clear and there was no denying that he was completely wasted.

“You’re drunk… seriously Gerard,” Isla spat disgusted with how the footballer was acting, she had thought that he was better than all of this; she had never thought that he would turn up at the hospital like this.

Isla shook her head, she didn’t want to deal with him right now and she was sure that the doctor had news about Milan now; she doubted the little boy would be going home tonight.

“Go home,” Isla said looking at Lionel sure that he could manage to get Gerard home without any problem; she ignored the curious looks from the team-mates that she didn’t recognise.

Lionel watched Isla with a smile, there was no denying that she cared for Gerard.

“What about Milan?” Gerard asked trying to sort through the drunk thoughts in his head, he couldn’t help but think Isla looked a little sexy when she was mad at him; he had only come to the hospital because of her worried voicemail.

“He’s better off without you right now, he doesn’t need a drunk around him,” Isla whispered before she walked away, she had no idea just what it would take Gerard to wake up and realise what he had.